'All is well': Ajit Pawar calls claims of rift in Mahayuti 'baseless'

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar on Friday said that "all is well" in the Mahayuti alliance, scotching off the speculations that trouble may be brewing in the ruling bloc.
Rumors were rife that Pawar, who is also Maharashtra's deputy CM, may break ranks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena after he abruptly left the last state cabinet meeting before the state polls.
Ajit Pawar's early exit from a cabinet meeting after only ten minutes had drawn significant attention.
"All is well, speculations about dispute in Mahartashtra cabinet meeting baseless", Ajit Pawar said at press conference in Mumbai, according to news agency PTI.
Pawar, on leaving the the Cabinet meeting early, said: "Had to attend scheduled programme...all cabinet decisions had my approval".
"Cabinet can overrule objections of any department," he further said.
Earlier, reports claimed that this walkout followed a heated exchange with chief minister Eknath Shinde over various proposals related to upcoming polls.
Ajit Pawar made headlines in July 2023 when he broke away from Sharad Pawar's NCP to join forces with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The BJP's alliance with Ajit Pawar has been internally criticised for its negative impact on the party's image and electoral performance, particularly during the recent Lok Sabha elections where the coalition suffered significant losses, winning only 17 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra.
Several media reports indicated there is growing discontent among BJP cadres regarding their partnership with Ajit Pawar's faction. An article in an RSS-linked Marathi weekly criticised this alliance, labeling it a "political blunder" that has alienated traditional BJP supporters who have long opposed the NCP.
Senior BJP leaders have expressed concerns that aligning with Ajit Pawar has not only damaged their electoral prospects but also diluted their stance against corruption, given Ajit Pawar's alleged involvement in various scandals.
Ajit Pawar's recent public interactions with Nawab Malik, a former NCP minister currently out on bail, have also raised eyebrows within the BJP. Malik's association with Ajit is problematic for the BJP, which has distanced itself from him due to serious allegations against Malik.
This unexpected camaraderie had fueled speculations that he may be positioning himself closer to Sharad Pawar's NCP.
The NCP (Sharad Pawar) has been gaining traction among voters disillusioned by the current coalition's performance.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, performed well in recent elections, winning 30 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats compared to Mahayuti's 17.
This shift indicates a growing preference among constituents for a return to traditional party lines rather than coalitions perceived as opportunistic.